Damsel in steel

01 This is too intense

(Darshan's POV)

I observe Mr. Gupta's anxious pacing in the courthouse halls, his face glistening with sweat as he mutters to himself. My voice interrupts his restless movements.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Gupta?" I inquire, causing him to abruptly halt his pacing.

"Why didn't you inform me that Emma is Nikhil's attorney?" He asks, his tone tinged with panic.

"I didn't realize that was such a crucial detail," I responded, puzzled by his distress.

"That's a critical piece of information. Perhaps the most crucial. She is kind of a legend in the Legal industry. Look, there she is," he says, gesturing toward a figure in the distance.

"Isn't she stunning?" Mr. Gupta sighs wistfully.

"I suppose, though she does give off a bit of an uptight vibe," I remark with a casual shrug.

"Hey, watch it, buddy! That's my future wife you're talking about! Just imagine our adorable kids," Mr. Gupta swoons over his daydream. As she walks past us, she acknowledges him with a nod, and if this were a scene from a movie, he'd have melted into a puddle of goo. Her dark brown eyes briefly meet mine for a split second before she looks away. Man, talk about good posture.

"You're making a fool of yourself," Mr. Gupta teases.

"What? Pfft, me embarrassing myself? You're the one embarrassing yourself with all that 'she's my future wife' nonsense," I retort defensively, adding air quotes for emphasis.

"Yeah? Then what's with the drooling? Did you forget she'll be framing you for copyright infringement in court in a couple of minutes?"

I follow closely behind Mr. Gupta as we make our way toward our seats, catching sight of Emma quietly organizing her files while her client speaks to her.
Mr. Gupta pulls me along with him towards her.

"Good morning, Miss Mathew," he greets, his voice stuttering slightly.

"Mr. Gupta! I'm glad we're on the same case," she replies, offering him a warm smile as she tilts her head ever so slightly.

"Yes, indeed, my pleasure. This is my client, Darshan Raval," he introduces me, and I extend my hand to shake hers. However, she simply nods at me and keeps her hand in her pocket.

"She's not big on handshaking," Gupta whispers in my ear, and I can't help but feel a bit foolish.

"Oh, I know who he is. I did my research," she states stiffly before excusing herself from us.

"She doesn't seem to like us very much, huh?" I comment to Gupta.

"There's no 'us' in this. She likes me. You, not so much," he responds with a hint of amusement.

"Yeah? Well, I don't like her either," I retort.

"You sound like a child, Darshan!"

"You're the child!" I protest, but our bickering is cut short by the judge's entrance. Awkwardly, I rise from my seat, mimicking the actions of the others and I catch Emma rolling her eyes at me. What's her problem, seriously?

Eventually, the hearing commences, and Gupta rises from his desk to address the court. "Your Honor, with your kind permission, I'd like to commence my opening arguments for the defense. Today, we'll demonstrate that the prosecution's case against my client relies on circumstantial evidence, rather than concrete proof. We'll illustrate how Mr. Arjun's work was in no way an inspiration for what my client created; everything was his own original work," he declares confidently. But the issue is, we lack strong evidence, even though I'm not guilty.

With little evidence to present, we were already at a significant disadvantage. As the case progressed, our chances of winning seemed to be decreasing. When the judge asked Emma to justify her client's allegations, she stated, "Your Honor, I'd like to submit Exhibit A into evidence, which is a signed contract showcasing the copyrighted work by my client. This document clearly outlines the visible resemblance between my client's work and the plaintiff's copied version."

To summarize the first hearing:
1) We lacked substantial proof.
2) Emma, somehow, had proof.
3) We were given two days to find compelling evidence, or I would face a guilty verdict. This would imply crediting Nikhil for my original work, compensating him for any losses incurred, and stopping further marketing of my work.

As I reached to my car door I heard Gupta scream from behind me, running, wheezing.

"Darshan!"

"There's only one way to win this case, Darshan!" He wheezed with his arm on his chest and his knees almost hitting the road.

"What is it?" I asked excitedly.

"Emma Mathew! Emma is the way!" He exclaimed.

"Get over your crush Gupta. She's opposition why would she be the answer?" I asked very confused.

"Befriending her is the only way to win." He said as he continued his dramatic extravaganza, pouring water on his face and I sighed. How should I befriend a person who hates me?

***
The first chapter is a little short but I promise there's much more to come.
See y'all soon!!!